Because people spend a substantial amount of time in their vehicles, whether commuting to and from work, traveling, or running errands, vehicle interiors or passenger compartments are commonly equipped with various features geared toward improving the overall comfort and enjoyment of vehicle occupants. However, other aspects of the driving experience, particularly as it relates to the synchronization and/or customization of lighting and sound effects within the passenger compartment, remain less than optimal due in part to the limited ability of an occupant to change these effects to suit his or her own unique mood, tastes, or preferences.
For example, lighting within a passenger compartment is generally limited to a fixed incandescent or fluorescent overhead bulb, and/or similar peripheral lighting devices positioned on the vehicle doors, handles, mirrors, etc. Instrument panel gauges are illuminated using soft ambient or background lighting, which can be selectively dimmed or turned on and off using a standard dimmer switch. Likewise, vehicle sound effects include a fixed tone, such as the typical “dinging” tone that is transmitted into the passenger compartment whenever a vehicle door is ajar or when an indicator or warning lamp is illuminated, or the “clicking” of an activated turn signal. However, these options tend to be standardized across a particular vehicle model or design, and generally offer few if any user-friendly customization options to the occupant.